Man vs Machine

Geoffrey Road is being dug up and resurfaced today. We mention this for two reasons, one particular to the street, the other a more general point.

Geoffrey Road is officially designated a minor residential road. However, by virtue of the fact that you can shave a few seconds off your journey to Lewisham or Ladywell if you drive up it, it is a major rat run, often clogged with traffic in the morning and evening rush hours. Local residents and the Brockley Cross Action Group have long campaigned for the road layout to be remodelled to reduce stress on this road and the other affected roads in the conservation area. The Council, while sympathetic to the problem, has pleaded poverty.

So while Geoffrey Road is in undeniably poor shape and we do need roads, we do wonder why improving this particular road - thus encouraging drivers - should be a priority at this time, when there are so many other deserving candidates. Why not wait until you have the money to do a proper traffic impact study and give local residents the remodelled system they've been asking for for so long?

The wider point is that, while the road surface is bad on Geoffrey Road, the pavement is many times worse. It is in dreadful condition, sunken in places, covered in broken tarmac in others and with tripping hazards every few feet. It is not one of the pavements targeted for resurfacing by the Council for the foreseeable future.

Geoffrey Road is not exceptional - many of Brockley's pavements are in very poor condition. Rather than relaying roads that we are trying to discourage drivers from using, why can't we spend the money relaying pavements that we do want people to use?